Also known as the "Station to Station" trail, the starting point of the Grand Sentier de la Côte Bleue can start at any station and be walked in either direction. All the more reason to take the Côte Bleue train from one loop to the other! In its entirety or step by step, the Grand Sentier de la Côte Bleue offers exceptional landscapes. From cliffs to villages, from creeks to hills, explore this unsuspected natural heritage and discover all the wealth of its coastline.
Step by step the entire Grand Sentier de la Côte Bleue from Ensuès-la-Redonne to La Couronne (Martigues).
Departure from La Redonne station, 62km, 96 hours. Download the GPX file of the Grand Sentier de la Côte Bleue
The route starts as soon as you get off the train. Go down the road to the port of La Redonne. At the port, turn left into Avenue du Cap Fabien Lieutier and then right into Chemin de Méjan. Go down by the alley of the port towards the Calanque de Figuières. At the Calanque de Figuières, take the stairs on the left at the quay (signposted "Méjean"). Follow the small path on the balcony, then in view of a cove go up the large stairs that join the "Allées de la Falaise" that you will follow until its intersection with the "Chemin de Méjan" leading to the ports of Petit Méjean and Grand Méjean. At the port of Grand Méjean, follow the Tir Cul path which leads you, passing under the viaduct, to a car park. Continue for another 100 m on this path. Then turn left onto the track. Follow it for about 1km. You will come to a cistern. Here turn left and follow the path to Caucarrières. Stay on this track for about 800m, then take the path to Vallon de la Violette.
At the crossroads with the Chemin de Bourgailles turn left to the D48d (Avenue du Vallon de la Graffiane). Cross the road and turn left on the pavement towards the centre of Ensuès-la-Redonne. Leave the first road (chemin de Gourgettes). Take the avenue de la Roche and go down towards the church. Go around the church and turn left onto the chemin des Rompides. At the next roundabout, after the cemetery, turn left onto the chemin de Besquen. Pass a DFCI barrier and continue on this road for about 1 km. You will see some ruined buildings on your left. At the crossroads with another track go straight on for another 250 m. Leave the track and turn right onto a path that joins the D5. Take the road to the left for 150m and cross it with care. At the signpost, plunge into the small valley of the Plaine du Bon Jean ravaged by the fire in July 2016. It winds for more than 1 hour between cliffs and then joins the expressway. Pass under a tunnel. Follow the blue markings for 1km300 leaving various paths to the right and left. Go towards an EDF pylon to reach a yellow marked track. At the hairpin bend, before the tank, turn right. Follow the track for about 2 km. You will come to a fork in the road. Take the one on your left.
After a pylon, take the track on the right which continues flat on the Valprête path. Follow the small yellow posts of the gas line for 20 minutes to arrive near a tank. Take the path around the cistern and down into a very wide valley facing north. A valley covered by a scrubland of kermes oaks and young Aleppo pines. A few ruined buildings and uncultivated fields are evidence of agricultural practice. After about 800m the valley turns west, narrows and widens again. You arrive in the plain of Saint-Julien-les-Martigues. The track continues between olive trees and vineyards. At the first house (on your right), the track is tarmacked. Continue for about 500m and turn left after the fence of the first house on your left. Continue along this track, round the Escalette farm and continue to the RD5. Cross the RD5 with care. You will arrive at a small car park where a track begins which allows you to visit the Martigues communal forest. After passing a DFCI barrier, the track climbs in two large twists and turns towards a viewpoint where a lookout post (now gone) was installed.
After this viewpoint, you leave the track to take a path that winds through the pine trees. After 100 m, you will come across a track on your left. Follow the track in the direction of "Les Laurons" until you reach a cistern. After the cistern turn right. At a crossroads of tracks, turn left, pass near the watchtower and near a cistern (viewpoint). Continue on the track, still heading west, until you reach the RD49. Cross the road, follow it to the right behind the safety wall, then on the side of the road. Keep left on the small road. Go through a barrier on the left, past a tank. Continue on the main track. Go along properties and olive groves. Go under the railway and join a road. Follow it on the side of the road. Cross it in front of the EDF factory. Take the path alongside the power station, then the Rue des Laurons. Go along the beach, then the port of Laurons. At the roundabout turn left. Take the track on the right to follow the seafront until you reach a small road. After a car park, continue on the track. Go past the naturist centre and join the seafront. Follow it to Carro.
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Go along the port, the quai du Grand Large, the beach. Stay on the road to the right towards the Anse du Verdon, cross the beach of the Couronne. Join the plateau of the Cap Couronne and the lighthouse. Continue along the GR51 to the beach of La Saulce, which you cross to go up the stairs overhanging the beach of Sainte-Croix. Head towards the clearly visible chapel. Continue along the coastal path which leads to the Tamaris cove, with its small port, which you will walk around. Do not continue along the road that goes up, but take the path on the right along the sea and then up towards the Cap des Tamaris. Then go down to the Boumandariel cove, which you will walk along until you reach the reed bed. Then the coastal walk takes you to the port of Sausset. Walk around the port. Continue your walk along the promenade de la corniche for about 1.5km, until its junction with the RD5. On this section it is impossible to walk along the sea because the houses built on the edge of it forbid the passage. Follow the road in the direction of Carry until you reach the Sausset/Carry boundary. The GR leaves the road and bends right along the coast. Then follow the coastline to the port of Carry, passing by La Tuilière with its nautical centre. You arrive at the port of Carry via Fernandel beach, where the famous actor had direct access via a staircase from his property, still visible today.
At the port, follow the red and white signs (GR 51). Go up the Route Bleue and at the top of the hill, on your right, the Avenue Gérard Montus which leads you to the beach of Cap Rousset. At the end of the beach, cross the barrier of the Barqueroute housing estate. Be careful to spot the GR markings. Follow the Barqueroute path for 50m. At the bend in the road, leave it to take a path that joins the allée de la Vigie. Turn left and at the next left-hand bend, take the impasse du Cap. Continue straight ahead to reach the seafront. Go around the beach and up to the Barqueroute lane. Turn right and follow the allée des Marines. At the car park a small path joins the RD5. Follow it for 205m. A staircase on your right allows you to join the Avenue Jean Bart below the RD5 and then the seaside. Go along the beach then take the avenue Blanche Calvet and the chemin des Eaux Salées. Before the entrance of the Vacanciel centre, turn right to reach the Chapelle du Rouet. Come back on the same path to join the small road. At the top of the climb, before the entrance to the holiday village, on the left you can see a bridge over the railway. Do not cross the bridge, but take a passage on the right between 2 wire fences, along the railway. Go straight on until you find a small bench where you can enjoy the view. Take the stairs down into the Eaux Salées cove. Cross the beach, go under the viaduct and take the stairs on the other side. At the top of the stairs, go under an arch of the viaduct to join the path of the calanque du Puits. Follow this road for about 1km, until it joins the Madrague de Gignac road. Take this road to the right for about 100 metres, then turn left onto the Chemin de la Redonne until its junction with the Chemin de la Dugué, which you take to the right, then leave it quickly to turn left onto the Chemin du Pebraire which leads to the Calanque de la Redonne. At the Port de la Redonne take the RD48E road (Chemin de la Gare) which will take you to the station located above the calanque.